Deal indicator for card games



Aug. 11, 1936. L KREMER 2,05%954 DEAL INDICATOR FOR CARD GAMES Filed Nov. 14, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l WITN ESS ATTORNEY 1936- J. L. KREMER 2,056,954

DEAL INDICATOR FOR CARD GAMES Filed Nov. 14, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i: /7 Z f-Q:

E Q? V M s./ I WITNESS ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 11, 1936' DEAL INDICATOR FOR. CARD GAMES Joseph Leo Kremer, Evansville, Ind.

Application November 14, 1935, Serial No. 49,851

6 Claims.

The invention relates to a deal indicator for card games and more especially to a card table attachment for the automatic indication of the dealing of the cards by the players.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an attachment of this character, wherein through the medium of a dial and lever mechanism the dealer of a deck of cards can be indicated in the progress of the playing of a card game, as, for example, bridge or the like, and thereby eliminating the necessity of mental reservation for determining the next dealer of the cards while playing such cards in a game, this being a mental hazard of determining the next dealer by memory.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an attachment of this character, wherein identification of the proper dealer of playing cards can be accurately had at any period of the particular round being played and each player can ascertain which player dealt the cards for that particular round or who dealt the last hand and the next dealer as the game progresses.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an attachment of this character, which is simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and eiiicient in its operation, not detracting from the appearance of the card table, readily and easily handled for the automatic indication of the dealer of the playing cards of the game, strong, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture and install.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in-the accompanying drawings, which disclose the preferred embodiment of the invention and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a card table showing the attachment constructed in accordance with the invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the attachment showing details of the mechanism thereof. I

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical central sectional View through the attachment.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A designates generally the top of a card table, which is of conventional kind and having the top face affording the playing surface for card games, the top being formed with a central circular shaped opening H) for making visible a turning dial it of disc form which is located slightly below the 5 top A in confronting relation to the opening it and such dial at its upper side has created thereon a pointer or indicator arrow l2 while at the under side of such dial centrally thereof is a stud i3 having a socket it for accommodating a fulcrum pin l5 whichis the arbor for a ratchet gear iii, the arbor being joined with a supporting post l'l through the medium of a ball and socket connection 58. This post ll is made fast in a base or bed l9 suspended beneath the top A of the table and made firm in any suitable manner, the post being perpendicular and is centered with relation to the opening it in the top A. Formed on the stud it is an arm 28 which when the dial H is level or in a true horizontal 2Q plane engages with one of a series of stop pins 2|, these rising vertically from the bed l9 and preferably located intermediate with relation to the four corners of the table top A. The arm 26 carries a spring ratchet pawl or dog 22 en- 5 gageable with the ratchet teeth of the gear I6 so that the arm willbe free to rotate in one direction but will be held against rotation in the reverse direction except when released by the pawl or dog 22 from engagement with the gear I6. On a bed 19 and rising vertically therefrom intermediate with relation to the pins 2! close to the outer circular periphery of the saidbed are upstanding or vertical U-shaped bearing brackets 23 swingingly supporting actuator levers 24, these being pivoted at 25 in said brackets 23. The outer ends of these levers24 carry button stems 26 which play upwardly through suitable clearances in the top A of the table and carry button heads 21 which in their configuration are symbolic of the various suits of a deck of playing cards, as, for example, a heart, diamond, club or spade, so that they can be readily distinguished from each other through such symbols. The buttons are elevated with relation to the playing face of the top A and are manually depressed. The inner ends of the levers 24 underlie the gear l6 while surrounding the post I! is a coiled leveling spring 28, it playing against the under side of the gear It to maintain the latter normally level. Now when depressing a selected lever 24 through the head 21 the gear IE will be tilted against the resistance of the leveling spring 28 and simultaneously therewith the dial H tilts thus lifting the arm 20 above the stop pin 2| against which the said arm strikes so that by the weight of the arm the dial II will be turned by gravity and thus automatically shifting the pointer or arrow l2. In this manner a person having the initial deal of the deck of cards for the playing of a game upon the table A can effect automatically identification of the next dealer of the cards of the group of players playing the card game so that mental reservation of the next dealer is not required.

In the use of the attachment the player acquiring the first deal plays the deck of cards on the button 21 next to his right hand side, it being assumed, of course, that the arrow I2 is pointed to the first dealer and thus the arm 2;} is released from the pin 2| so that the dial H is free under gravitation to turn and the instant that the cards are released from the button 21, which is necessary for the dealing of such cards, the spring 28 becomes active for the leveling of the gear I6 and the dial ll so that the arm 20 becomes lowered to strike the next stop pin 2| in its path and in doing this the arrow or pointer [2 moves to a position to identify the next dealer of the deck of cards to the left of the first dealer. In this manner each successive deal er for the cards is indicated in successive steps as the game of cards progresses in the playing of the same.

It is contemplated within the scope of the present invention to employ an electric light bulb to be located in front of each player using-the device and such electric light bulb thus employed is arranged and supported in any suitable manner and each is lighted when the arm 2E! contacts with the pin 2| and this arrangement is to be in association with the arrow indicator and current can be supplied from a small dry cell battery located under the table top or the circuit for the light can be tapped into a house wiring system. The electric bulb arrangement can also be used without the arrow indicator if found desirable.

What is claimed is: i

1. An attachment of the character described comprising a dial adapted for mounting upon a table top for exposure at the playing surface thereof, a series of stop pins arranged intermediate of four corners of the table top, an arm connected with the dial and engageable with said pins, and means operable at the table top for freeing the arm from engagement with the pin and automatically tilting the said arm for the gravitation thereof to a next pin adjacent thereto.

2. An attachment of the character described comprising a dial adapted for mounting upon a table top for exposure at'the playing surface thereof, a series of stop pins arranged intermediate of four corners of, the table top, an arm connected with the dial and engageable with said pins, means operable at the table top for freeing the arm from engagement with the pin and automatically tilting the said am for the gravitation thereof to a next pin adjacent thereto, and means for automatically leveling the arm and dial subsequent to the tilting of said arm.

3. An attachment of the character described comprising a dial adapted for mounting upon a table top for exposure at the playing surface thereof, a series of stop pins arranged intermediate of four corners of the table top, an arm connected with the dial and engageable with said pins, means operable at the table top for freeing the arm from engagement with the pin and automatically tilting the said arm for the gravitation thereof to a next pin adjacent thereto, means for automatically leveling the arm and dial subsequent to the tilting of said arm, and means for effecting gravitation of the arm when freed from a stop pin in one direction.

4. An attachment of the character described comprising a turning dial having an indicator, means supporting the dial for tilting movements, means for leveling the dial after tilting, stops arranged spaced from each other and concentrically of the dial, an arm on the dial for engagement of the stops when level and escaping the same when said dial is tilted, and means operable for effecting the tilting of the dial for the release of the arm from a stop when engaged therewith.

5. An attachment of the character described comprising a turning dial having an indicator, means supporting the dial for tilting movements, means for leveling the dial after tilting, stops arranged spaced from each other and concentrically of the dial, an arm on the dial for engagement of the stops when level and escaping the same when said dial is tilted, means operable for effecting the tilting of the dial for the release of the arm from a stop when engaged therewith, and means for causing the dial to turn in a single direction and under gravitation when tilted.

6. An attachment of the character described comprising a turning dial having an indicator, means supporting the dial for tilting movements, means for leveling the dial after tilting, stops arranged spaced from each other and concentrically of the dial, an arm on the dial for engagement of the stops when level and escaping the same when said dial is tilted, means operable for effecting the tilting of the dial for the release of the arm from a stop when engaged therewith, means for causing the dial to turn in a single direction and under gravitation when tilted, a table top, and means supporting the dial beneath the table top, the said top being provided with an opening rendering the dial visiible therethrough.

.JOSEPH LEO KREMER. 

